Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueprimdon’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueprimdon’, characterized by its compact, upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; strong lateral branches; early flowering habit; inflorescences with large red-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEPRIMDON’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueprimdon’. Plants of the newPoinsettia have not been made available publicly nor sold for more thanone year prior to the filing of this application.

The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create compact Poinsettia plants with attractiveflower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-016-518, not patented, asthe female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-003-06, not patented, asthe male, or pollen, parent. The new Poinsettia plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny ofthe stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment inRheinberg, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetativecuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germanyhas shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however,any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dueprimdon’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Dueprimdon’ as a new and distinct Poinsettiaplant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and        uniformly mounding plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Strong lateral branches.    -   4. Early flowering habit.    -   5. Inflorescences with large red-colored flower bracts.    -   6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more compact than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flower earlier than plants of        the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the maleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more compact than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have stronger lateral branches        than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. ‘Fiscor’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of thenew Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘Fiscor’ in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than and not        as vigorous as plants of ‘Fiscor’.    -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more upright than plants of        ‘Fiscor’.    -   3. Lateral branches of plants of the new Poinsettia were thicker        and darker green in color than lateral branches of plants of        ‘Fiscor’.    -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia had larger inflorescences with        more flower bracts per inflorescence than plants of ‘Fiscor’.    -   5. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia were darker red        in color than flower bracts of plants of ‘Fiscor’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Dueprimdon’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during thesummer in a glass-covered greenhouse and under cultural practicestypical of commercial Poinsettia production. During the production ofthe plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levelsaveraged 4,500 lux. Single plants were grown in 12-cm containers andwere pinched one time about three weeks after planting the cuttings. Twoweeks after pinching, the photoinductive treatments (long nyctoperiods)were initiated. Plants were 20 weeks old when the photograph and thedetailed description were taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Dueprimdon’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia            pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-016-518, not            patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia            pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-003-06, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit and form.—Compact, upright to somewhat outwardly            spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; inverted            triangle, mounding; inflorescences with large flower bracts            positioned above the foliar plane; moderately vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 30.4 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 40.8 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching habit            with about six lateral branches developing after pinching.            Length: About 18.6 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode            length: About 1.8 cm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137A.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 11.6 cm. Width: About 7.7 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Lobed; dentate. Venation            pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.            Texture, lower surface: Rugose, glabrous. Color: Developing            leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 139A. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,            close to 187A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 137A; venation, close to 184B. Petioles: Length: About            5.4 cm. Diameter: About 3.2 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to            187B. Color, lower surface: Close to 187C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with flower bracts subtending the            cyathia; one inflorescence per lateral branch with            inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliar plane.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally during the            autumn and winter under long nyctoperiod conditions;            inflorescence initiation and development can be induced            under artificial long nyctoperiod conditions; early            flowering habit, response time is about eight weeks.        -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production            longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good            substance and bract color for about twelve weeks under            interior conditions.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 25.2 cm. Height (depth):            About 3.3 cm.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18. Length:            About 10.7 cm. Width: About 7.1 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Dentate. Texture, upper            surface: Glabrous; smooth, Texture, lower surface: Glabrous;            rugose. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing bracts,            upper surface: Close to 46A. Developing bracts, lower            surface: Close to 46B. Transitional bracts, upper surface:            Close to 46A. Transitional bracts, lower surface: Close to            138B and 46B. Fully developed bracts, upper surface: Close            to 46B; venation, close to 46B; color does not change with            development. Fully developed bracts, lower surface: Close to            46C to 46D; venation, close to 46C to 46D; color does not            change with development. Bract petiole: Length: About            1.7 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            Close to 53A.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 18. Length: About 1 cm.            Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture, inner and outer            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature and mature,            inner and outer surfaces: Close to 144A. Nectaries: Quantity            per cyathium: One. Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Texture, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color, immature and mature: Inner surface: Close            to 17B. Outer surface: Close to 17C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to            145A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About            ten. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to            53A. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther            color: Close to 187A to 187B. Amount of pollen: Abundant.            Pollen color: Close to 9A. Pistils: Quantity per cyathium:            One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Style length: About 2 mm.            Style color: Close to 144B. Stigma shape: Crested. Stigma            color: Close to 59B. Ovary color: Close to 144A. Seeds and            fruits: Seed and fruit production have not been observed on            plants of the new Poinsettia.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not    been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Poinsettia plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about    40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueprimdon’as illustrated and described.